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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · lie · hand · hide · deal · game · squash · safe

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — to recline
  23. squash — the sport
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com